Novak Djokovic insists he is reaching top form as battle with Andy Murray for world No1 spot intensifies November 17, 2016 Summit-chasing Novak Djokovic insists he is easing towards top gear after cranking up his bid to snatch Andy Murray’s world No1 status with his third successive victory at the ATP World Tour Finals. Five-time winner Djokovic was already guaranteed top spot in Group B but demolished Belgium’s David Goffin, who replaced the injured Gael Monfils [...]
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them review: a full-on Christmas blockbuster that’s bursting with imagination November 17, 2016 No more, JK Rowling vowed as the Harry Potter series – her magnum opus that took 17 years to write – finally came to an end. And she’s largely kept her word, apart from the studio tour, the theme park and the play that’s currently in the West End. Oh, and a website she runs [...]
An Inspector Calls at the Playhouse theatre: good, cosy fun, but lacking spleen November 17, 2016 An Inspector Calls returns once again to the London stage. A whodunnit in which a police officer investigates the causes of a young woman’s suicide should be an excoriating critique of the indifference of the upper-middle classes, but here it is repackaged as cosy entertainment for the descendants of the very people it originally sought [...]
King Lear at the Barbican review: Antony Sher shows a very different Lear to Glenda Jackson November 17, 2016 The benefit of seeing two top-tier productions of King Lear in the space of a week – first the Old Vic’s version with Glenda Jackson, the second at the Barbican starring Antony Sher – is that all of its myriad quirks, masterstrokes and flaws come into sharp focus. Perhaps the flaws most of all. While [...]
ATP Tour World Finals 2016: How coverage of Andy Murray and co is being adapted for the digital age November 17, 2016 Andy Murray’s new-found place atop the world rankings may be under threat this week, but the broadcast arm of the elite men’s tour is preparing for more sustained success. Despite sports fans’ shifting consumption habits, ATP Media is expecting to enjoy continued growth and secure $1.3bn (£1bn) worth of rights sales over the next 10 [...]
Fifa open disciplinary proceedings following poppy row, while Jurgen Klopp defends Wayne Rooney and Martin Glenn confirms Gareth Southgate’s determination to land England job November 17, 2016 World governing body Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Football Associations of England and Scotland after the national teams of both countries wore poppies during their World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Both nations defied Fifa by wearing black armbands embroidered with poppies for the match which fell on Armistice Day. The scandal-hit organisation [...]
Gimme Danger review: This documentary charting the success of The Stooges is a tribute to true outsiders November 17, 2016 Jim Jarmusch directs this portrait of The Stooges, told through animated archive footage and interviews with the remaining members. It explores the notorious live gigs, frontman Iggy Pop’s counter-culture mystique, and their eventual acceptance as music pioneers. Rockumentaries tread a thin line between celebration and investigation; too critical, and you risk losing the fan base [...]
Indignation review: A moody but glacially slow Philip Roth adaptation November 17, 2016 The normally wide-eyed young actor Logan Lerman gets cynical for this 50s drama. He plays Marcus, a gifted but self-isolating college student from Newark dealing with life and relationships against the backdrop of the Korean War. Like last week's American Pastoral, Indignation is an adaptation of a Phillip Roth novel made by a first time [...]
Rugby is still missing a trick in way it engages with commercial partners if it is to become more relevant to the next generation November 17, 2016 Rugby is a great sport at a critical point in its development. The international game is very popular in a small number of countries, from the six and tri nations plus a few others, such as Japan and Fiji, who play at Twickenham on Saturday. The rugby economy is skewed toward a few major media [...]
Former England skipper Steven Gerrard linked with vacant managerial position at League One MK Dons November 17, 2016 Former England skipper Steven Gerrard could be set to cut his teeth in management after being linked with the vacant position as boss of League One strugglers Milton Keynes Dons. The 36-year-old midfielder, who won eight major trophies during a 17-year-old stint with boyhood club Liverpool, this week announced his intention to leave LA Galaxy [...]